The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has denied claims that its officers fired live ammunition at #EndBadGovernance protesters during the nationwide demonstrations in August.
In a statement released on Monday, Muyiwa Adejobi, the police spokesperson, described the Amnesty International report accusing security operatives of killing protesters as “unfounded, misleading, and inconsistent with incident reports.”
Adejobi emphasised that the police “operated in compliance with established rules of engagement” throughout the protests.
The Amnesty International report, titled Bloody August: Nigerian government’s violent crackdown on #EndBadGovernance protests, alleged that at least 24 protesters were killed during the demonstrations.
The global human rights group also reported that 1,200 protesters were arrested and accused Nigerian authorities of committing “acts of torture and other ill-treatment against protesters.”
The protests, sparked by widespread hardship in the country, lasted 10 days and were marred by violence in some states.
Incidents of police firing tear gas at protesters and journalists were reported in Abuja, Lagos, and Kaduna, among other areas.
Adejobi stated that Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police, has ordered a “comprehensive investigation into the claims.”
“The force categorically refutes these allegations as unfounded, misleading, and inconsistent with incident reports submitted to the office of the inspector-general of police by affected commands,” the statement read.
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“The force wishes to reiterate that throughout the protests, it operated in compliance with established rules of engagement, including providing security for peaceful protesters.
“The inspector-general of police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D, NPM, had issued clear directives to all Commissioners of Police on managing the protests, emphasizing that officers should not deploy arms to manage protests.
“Instead, arms were only to be used when protests escalated into riots involving loss of lives and damage to property. Even then, engagement with armed protesters was limited strictly to specialized armed units to restore order.”
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